Synopsis

MSUAV

We recently acquired a lightweight, fully-autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with state-of-the-science mapping and imaging capabilities to enhance both teaching and research in the College of Agriculture and the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. The use of UAVs in agricultural and environmental research is burgeoning, and the proposed equipment will position the COA/MAES on the leading edge of research capabilities. The incorporation of UAV mapping and imaging technology in the classroom and the exposure of our students to this rapidly growing field will better position them for future opportunities. The senseFly eBee with the multiSPEC 4C camera is cutting-edge technology specifically designed for precision mapping. The UAV itself is small (less than 1 m wingspan), lightweight (less than 1 kg), and fully autonomous, meaning that it flies and lands itself with low noise and zero pollution. Flight times are on the order of 45 minutes, providing upwards of 1,000 ha of mapping per flight. The system includes two advanced software packages – one for flight planning and control, and one for post-flight image processing and analysis, which results in highly precise orthomosaics and digital elevation models (with accuracy down to < 3 cm). The Airinov multiSPEC 4C camera has four separate 1.2 megapixel sensors that acquire data across four spectral bands (green, red, red-edge, and near-infrared), making it well suited for a wide variety of agricultural and environmental applications, including, but not limited to mapping plant stress, biomass, leaf area index, water and nutrient deficiencies, and crop phenology. 

Collaborators

  • Diana Cooksey, Montana State University
  • Rick Lawrence, Montana State University